Popular modern self-loading handguns generally require a grip or receiver surrounding a vertically oriented magazine that holds cartridges ready to be fired. A horizontal barrel is located on top of and in front of the grip/receiver, and is rigidly mounted or actuated by a cam surface. The handgun usually requires a hollow slide that surrounds most of the barrel. In operation, the lateral motion of the hollow slide provides for the loading and ejection of the cartridges into the barrel. However, the slide has inherent problems.
FIG. 1 is rear right side perspective view of a conventional prior-art semi-automatic pistol 260. FIG. 2 is another rear right side perspective view of the prior art pistol 260 of FIG. 1 showing the machined slide 280 moves relative to the frame 270. FIG. 3 is a right bottom perspective view of the prior art pistol of FIG. 1 with the slide 280 lifted away.
FIG. 4 is an upper perspective view of the prior art slide 280 of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view of the prior art slide 280 of FIG. 4.
Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the slots 290 in the prior art slide 280 generally engage rails 300 on a machined frame 270. The rails 300 are generally machined on a conventional frame 270 engage the machined slide 280 and allow front to back motion of the slide 280 to the frame 270.
The machined frame 27 and the hollow machined slide 280 are generally complicated and expensive parts. The hollow machined slide 280 is usually milled out of high strength steel and is the most expensive cost part of the handgun 260, which contributes the largest cost part to the handgun 260. Additionally, the hollow machined slide 280 is the most complex component of the handgun.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.